It is a common occurrence in many areas during winter months that a significant amount of snow accumulates overnight. As a result, many individuals whose activities are affected by such snowfall, need or want to be alerted when a significant amount of snow accumulates. For example, motorists or commuters may need additional time to clear walks or drives, and to travel to their destinations.
To accommodate this problem devices have been suggested to alert an individual when significant snow has accumulated during a period of sleep. U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,894 discusses a snow alarm involving a mechanical device for outdoor use. The device is designed to capture and retain fallen snow and selectively sound an alarm at varying degrees of snowfall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,660 relates to an electromechanical alarm system which uses two separately activated alarm switches. The alarm switches are attached to a snow detector which is adapted to close a mechanical switch when a particular snowfall condition is sensed.
No prior art device has attained any significant degree of commercial success to my knowledge.
The prior art devices are not sufficiently adaptable to varying environmental conditions and user preferences. These devices require the use of outdoor mechanical devices, and are severely limited in their ability to accommodate changing environmental conditions and user preferences.
A need continues to exist for a simple, low cost snow alarm system which can reliably detect the presence of snow accumulation without the use of complicated mechanical devices or outdoor sensors. A further need exists for an intelligent alarm system which is capable of accommodating a variety of performance parameters and conditions by using both preprogrammed and acquired data to generate an appropriate alarm signal.